With a vaccine for Covid-19 on its way to us, I’m wondering what comes next. Dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic has been an immense global challenge. Having an effective vaccine will be a game-changer, but what else is going to change as a result?
Haves vs. Have-Nots
I think there’s a very real possibility that the vaccine will contribute to divisions between people. We see how different folks have responded to the pandemic. There are the “happy-to-wear-a-mask-for-the-greater-good” people and the “masks-are-for-sheeple” folks. A significant number of the latter can be counted among the many who believe vaccines are an evil form of social control. Whether they will choose to be vaccinated remains to be seen.
What concerns me is there will be a divide between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated because companies large and small will likely start to require their patrons to be vaccinated against Covid-19. To choose not be vaccinated is an inalienable human right. Businesses also have the right to require their patrons to be vaccinated. National governments have the right to require visitors to the country to have been inoculated. What could our post-Covid-19 world look like for the non-vaccinated?
It is possible unvaccinated people will be restricted from doing activities we have previously taken for granted, including:
- Traveling internationally
- Going on cruises
- Using public transit
- Attending sporting events or concerts
- Going to bars, restaurants, or fitness facilities
- Shopping at mass retailers
The reality of Covid-19 is that while it’s not a serious condition for most people, it can be fatal in others, and many more will suffer long-term negative health effects. Preventing these unnecessary fatalities and negative health impacts is the point of the vaccine. Those who choose not to be vaccinated will potentially be restricted from participating fully in society and our economy because of the risk they pose to others.
It’s Coming, So Start Thinking
If you think this can’t happen, it’s time to change how you think. Quantas, an Australian airline, has said it will be likely they will require passengers flying internationally to prove they’ve been vaccinated. (Source) They are not the only company that feels this way. This article also discusses how national governments are also considering implementing similar restrictions. Governments around the world have closed their borders in order to prevent potential transmission of Covid-19 from people visiting their countries, so it’s not unreasonable to expect they will require visitors to be vaccinated.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist. I don’t believe vaccines are part of a plot by some shadowy global cabal to control the world. I do suspect though that the policies that will be put in place around the world to manage the spread of Covid-19 will be purposefully misrepresented conspiracy theorists to further their own agendas.
How we move forward once Covid-19 vaccines are readily available is going to be interesting. I think “messy” and “chaotic” are probably better words to describe what is coming. We’re already fractured as a society and the developments that are coming with the vaccine are likely to going cause even more stress between those who want the vaccine and those who don’t.
I am hopeful for the future. I hope you are too. I was also hoping we would see the best in human nature emerge in response to the pandemic. It did, but not from everyone. I hold out hope that we will collectively be able to move forward and make our post-pandemic world a safer and healthier place to co-exist.
Fingers crossed đŸ™‚